About Sweden...

2006 Result
History (1956 to 2005)
This year's entry
What I predicted...
What you thought...
What actually happened...
What the bookies thought...

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2006 Result

Points in Semi Final: 214
Position in Semi Final: 4th

Points in Final: 170
Position in Final: 5th
More about the 2006 result for Sweden

2007 Contest: Directly qualified to Final

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History (1956 to 2005)

Sweden's previous appearances: 45 year(s) out of 50 [note]
Years participated: 1958-1963; 1965-1969; 1971-1975; 1977- [note]
Best result: 1st (1974, 1984, 1991, 1999)

Sweden is one of Eurovision's most successful and consistent performers. Making its first appearance in 1958, the country had to wait quite a while for its first victory. When Sweden did win, in 1974, it did so in style. The song 'Waterloo' launched ABBA to international stardom, and remains probably the most well-known and popular Eurovision winner. Since then, Sweden's record of success has been second only to Ireland, notching up further winners in 1984 (Herreys with 'Diggi Loo Diggi Ley'), 1991 (Carola) and 1999 (Charlotte Nilsson's 'Take me to your heaven'). All were irritatingly bouncy pop songs, though none have come close to matching the enduring appeal of 'Waterloo'.

In recent years, Sweden has seemed an excellent judge of televoters' taste, boasting a run of top ten finishes stretching from 1998 to 2004 - 6th in 2004, 5th in 2003, 8th in 2002, 5th in 2001, 7th in 2000, 1st in 1999 and 10th in 1998. With a record this consistent, Sweden is nearly always regarded as a serious contender at Eurovision, but a dismal 19th place for Martin Stenmarck's 'Las Vegas' in 2005 - the country has only once finished lower in 45 appearances - means that the Swedes face the relative indignity of taking part in the 2006 Semi Final. You have to go back to 1976 to find a Saturday night Eurovision show in which the Swedes were not present, so they will no doubt be pulling out all the stops to avoid that happening again thirty years later.
Get 'The Eurovision Song Contest: The Offical History' at Amazon.co.uk

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This year's entry

Position in Semi Final draw: 20
Position in Final draw: 22

What I said prior to the Semi Final:
"The Swedish Melodifestivalen final took place on 18 March, with 1991 Eurovision winner Carola emerging victorious with the song 'Evighet', due to be performed in English as 'Invincible' in Athens. After last year's disaster with 'Las Vegas', the Swedes have certainly plumped for the safe option in 2006, rejecting very strong contemporary songs by Andreas Johnsson and Bodies Without Organs - either of which would have done the country proud - in favour of Carola, the favourite to win the whole thing right from the beginning. Was it the right decision? I fear not, and can't help feeling that the Swedes may have jettisoned their best chances of Eurovision success in 2006.

Watching her perform at the Melodifestivalen, there is no doubt that Carola is a polished performer with a fantastic stage presence. However, given all the hype beforehand I expected more from her song - it's good rousing Swedish schlager, complete with the obligatory key change, but it's just not fantastic. Indeed, it's nothing we haven't heard from Sweden at Eurovision a million times before, with predictable echoes of 2004's song by Lena PH, Charlotte Nilsson's 1999 winner and even of Carola's previous effort from 1991. So, 'Invincible' will surely give Sweden more points than last year's effort, but I really can't see it as a winner, or even as a dead cert qualifier from the Semi Final."

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What I predicted...

My prediction for Semi Final: 4th to 6th
My prediction for Final: Likely qualifier; 8th to 10th
See all my predictions for the 2006 Semi Final
See all my predictions for the 2006 Final

What I predicted prior to the Semi Final:
"OK, ok - this IS going to qualify isn't it? 'Invincible' is predictable all right, but it ticks all the Eurovision boxes, has a great performer, works well in its English translation and - most importantly - has a perfect draw, 20th out of 23 in the Semi Final.

I still don't see it as a winner though, and suspect that a good top ten placing in the Final might be more realistic. "
Want an alternative prediction? See Simon Hylands' 'Je t'adore, Eurovision!' site

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What you thought...

View the final leader board

In the run up to the Contest, 1,721 visitors to this site awarded points to their favourite songs in the Soult.com Eurovision Jury Vote 2006, voting as a representative of their own country's 'jury'. The votes awarded by representatives of each country were totalled, with each of the 38 participating countries (plus the 'Rest of the World') then awarding points - 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - based on the overall voting preference of its representatives. The points awarded to the entry from Sweden are shown in the tables below:

Points awarded to Sweden overall:
AL	0	HR	0	GR	0	MK	0	PL	0	ES	6
AD	6	CY	6	IS	0	MT	4	PT	12	SE	X
AM	7	DK	12	IE	8	MD	0	RO	0	CH	2
BY	0	EE	1	IL	8	MC	0	RU	3	TR	0
BE	10	FI	2	LV	7	NL	6	CS	0	UA	0
BA	1	FR	5	LT	0	NO	0	SI	8	UK	7
BG	0	DE	0	WO	0	Last updated: 18 May 2006 Next scheduled update: None
Total points: 121, from 20/39 juries
Position: 7 out of 37

Points awarded to Sweden in the Semi Final:
AL	0	HR	4	GR	5	MK	0	PL	2	ES	8
AD	7	CY	12	IS	3	MT	7	PT	12	SE	X
AM	8	DK	12	IE	10	MD	0	RO	1	CH	8
BY	2	EE	5	IL	10	MC	5	RU	6	TR	0
BE	12	FI	5	LV	8	NL	8	CS	3	UA	4
BA	6	FR	7	LT	4	NO	0	SI	12	UK	10
BG	5	DE	0	WO	2	Last updated: 18 May 2006 Next scheduled update: None
Total points: 213, from 32/39 juries
Position: 5 out of 23

Points awarded to Sweden in the Final:
AL	0	HR	0	GR	0	MK	0	PL	0	ES	6
AD	6	CY	6	IS	1	MT	4	PT	12	SE	X
AM	7	DK	12	IE	8	MD	0	RO	0	CH	2
BY	0	EE	1	IL	8	MC	1	RU	6	TR	0
BE	10	FI	3	LV	8	NL	6	CS	0	UA	1
BA	1	FR	5	LT	1	NO	0